Few names in business aviation carry the breadth of Jet Aviation. The same company that fuels and parks a jet at Teterboro can also maintain it, manage it, charter it out and even fit its cabin from bare metal. That spread is what sets the firm apart from pure fuel-and-ramp operators.
What is Jet Aviation?
Jet Aviation is a Swiss-founded, globally operating business-aviation services company and a wholly owned subsidiary of the American defence and aerospace group General Dynamics. As of 2026 it runs around 50 locations worldwide — including some 30 fixed-base operations (FBOs) — and combines fixed-base operations with aircraft maintenance, management, charter, completions and crew staffing under one corporate roof.12
If you have never used a private terminal, our explainer on what an FBO is covers the ground-handling basics; this article is about one of the companies that runs those terminals, and a good deal more besides.
The distinction matters. Most large FBO chains do one thing well: they operate private terminals where business aircraft refuel, park, clear customs and hand off passengers. Jet Aviation does that — its FBO network is recognised in industry surveys year after year — but the FBO line is only one division of a much wider services business. The company describes its offering as spanning eight areas: aircraft management, aircraft sales, charter, completions, FBO, government programs, maintenance and staffing.2 For a flight department, that means a single vendor relationship can cover an aircraft's whole life, from green-aircraft cabin outfitting to line service on the ramp decades later.
Jet Aviation's footprint
Jet Aviation's network is genuinely global, spread across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America and Asia-Pacific. The company describes its total presence as some 50 locations worldwide, of which around 30 are FBO and handling stations as of 2025–2026.13 The remainder are maintenance centres, completions facilities, management offices and staffing bases that do not necessarily front a public terminal.
On the FBO side specifically, the operator reported some 30 FBOs worldwide in late 2025, split into 11 stations across EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and a growing US presence.3 In November 2025 the company launched operations at Miami-Opa Locka, describing it as its 12th FBO in the United States.4 Recent additions have come through both construction and acquisition: a Milwaukee, Wisconsin station in October 2024, and the former ASTONSKY FBO at Paris–Le Bourget, acquired in August 2025.35
The table below lists a sample of notable Jet Aviation locations. It is illustrative rather than exhaustive — the network shifts as the company opens, acquires and consolidates sites — so always confirm the current operator on the live map before you plan a trip.
| Location / Airport (ICAO) | Region or note |
|---|---|
| Basel-Mulhouse (LFSB) | Switzerland/France; founding site and a major completions and MRO hub1 |
| Geneva (LSGG) | Switzerland; long-standing European FBO and maintenance base6 |
| Zurich (LSZH) | Switzerland; FBO recognised in AIN's 2025 survey6 |
| Paris–Le Bourget (LFPB) | France; FBO acquired from ASTONSKY in August 20255 |
| Düsseldorf (EDDL) | Germany; EMEA FBO recognised in the 2025 survey6 |
| Amsterdam (EHAM) | Netherlands; FBO highly placed for EMEA line service6 |
| Dubai International (OMDB) | UAE; Middle East FBO recognised in the 2025 survey6 |
| Teterboro (KTEB) | US; New York-area FBO, a perennial survey performer6 |
| Palm Beach (KPBI) | US; top-5 Americas FBO in AIN's 2025 survey6 |
| Boston / Bedford (KBED) | US; New England FBO and maintenance presence6 |
| Houston (KHOU) | US; Gulf-coast FBO recognised in the 2025 survey6 |
| Miami-Opa Locka (KOPF) | US; 12th US FBO, operations launched November 20254 |
| Singapore (WSSS) | Asia-Pacific FBO and maintenance hub6 |
| Sydney (YSSY) | Australia; Asia-Pacific FBO recognised in the 2025 survey6 |
A note on currency: ICAO codes and operator names change as fields are redeveloped and businesses change hands. Treat any static list — including this one — as a starting point, and verify the present operator before assuming a Jet Aviation terminal at a given airport.
What Jet Aviation offers
Jet Aviation's value lies in the range of services it can put behind a single tail number. Across the network, the company provides:
- FBO and fuel services — private terminals offering Jet-A, avgas and, increasingly, sustainable aviation fuel; ramp handling, hangar and parking, passenger and crew lounges, and concierge support. Twelve Jet Aviation FBOs were recognised in Aviation International News's 2025 FBO Survey, among them Geneva, Zurich, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam, Teterboro, Palm Beach and Singapore.6
- Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) — line and base maintenance, engineering and refurbishment for a range of business-jet types, with major centres in Basel and across the US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.1 In 2026 the company highlighted expanded in-house MRO work, including a proprietary cabin-management and in-flight-entertainment software system developed by its own engineers.7
- Aircraft management — operating aircraft on owners' behalf, covering crewing, scheduling, regulatory compliance, maintenance oversight and cost control.2
- Charter — managed-fleet charter for owners and third-party customers.2
- Completions and refurbishment — fitting out green (newly built) aircraft and refurbishing existing cabins, with Basel a long-established wide-body completions centre.1
- Staffing and government programs — crew and technical staffing services, plus dedicated support for government and head-of-state operators.2
If you want the line-by-line version of what the ramp services mean in practice, our FBO services guide breaks them down, and our piece on the difference between an FBO and a private jet terminal clears up the terminology.
Ownership and history
Jet Aviation was established in 1967 by Carl W. Hirschmann, who bought the former Globe Air hangars in Basel, Switzerland, and opened what is widely described as the first dedicated business-aircraft maintenance facility in Europe.1 The company stayed Swiss-headquartered in Basel as it grew from a maintenance shop into a full-service operator over the following decades.
The defining ownership change came in 2008. General Dynamics agreed in August 2008 to acquire Jet Aviation from Dreamliner Lux S.à.r.l., a vehicle controlled by the Permira private-equity funds, for CHF 2.45 billion — reported at the time as roughly $2.25 billion in cash.8 General Dynamics completed the purchase on 5 November 2008, and Jet Aviation has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of the NYSE-listed group (ticker GD) ever since.19 The company today states that it upholds General Dynamics' corporate values and employs more than 4,500 staff across its global network.2
Treat older headcount and location figures with care: at the time of the 2008 acquisition Jet Aviation was variously described as employing close to 5,600 people across some 25 airport facilities, whereas current company materials cite around 4,500 employees and roughly 50 locations.28 Such numbers move with restructuring, divestments and acquisitions, so always anchor to the latest primary source.
How to find a Jet Aviation FBO
Knowing that Jet Aviation operates at an airport does not, on its own, tell you whether it is the right choice for your trip. Many fields host several FBOs, and the shortest taxi, the best hangar availability or the most competitive fuel may sit at a neighbouring terminal.
The practical approach is to compare. On the FBO Finder map you can locate a Jet Aviation terminal at a given airport, see its ICAO code and contact details, and line it up against every other FBO on the same field before you commit. Our guide to how to find an FBO walks through the method step by step. Because operators change hands and terminals open and close, a live directory is more reliable than any static list — including the table above.
If you are weighing Jet Aviation against its rivals, it is worth reading our profiles of the other major networks — among them Signature Flight Support, Atlantic Aviation, Jetex, Universal Aviation and ExecuJet — each of which leads in regions or service tiers where Jet Aviation is not always the obvious pick. Our overview of the best FBO networks in 2026 puts them side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Jet Aviation? Jet Aviation has been a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) since 5 November 2008, when General Dynamics completed its acquisition of the company from the Permira funds for CHF 2.45 billion (about $2.25 billion).89
Where is Jet Aviation headquartered? The company was founded and remains headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, where it opened its first maintenance facility in 1967.12
How many FBOs does Jet Aviation have? The company reported some 30 FBOs worldwide in late 2025 — 11 across EMEA and 12 in the United States — within a wider network of around 50 total locations.34 Treat the exact figure as approximate, as it moves with new openings and acquisitions.
What services does Jet Aviation offer besides FBO? Beyond fixed-base operations, Jet Aviation provides aircraft maintenance (MRO), aircraft management, charter, completions and refurbishment, aircraft sales, crew staffing and government-aircraft programs.2
The bottom line
Jet Aviation is one of business aviation's most complete service providers: a General Dynamics company, Basel-founded in 1967, running some 30 FBOs and around 50 locations worldwide alongside a deep MRO, management, charter and completions business. Its strength is breadth — one vendor across an aircraft's whole life — rather than sheer terminal count, where larger pure-play FBO chains operate more sites. As of 2026 it continues to expand, from Paris–Le Bourget to Miami-Opa Locka.45 Before you book, compare Jet Aviation against every nearby FBO on the FBO Finder map and choose on the facts that matter for your trip.
Sources
Article last updated June 2026. If you represent Jet Aviation or spot an inaccuracy, email editorial@fbo-finder.com — we'll review and correct within 48 hours.
Footnotes
-
"Jet Aviation," Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_Aviation ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8
-
Jet Aviation, "About," company website. https://www.jetaviation.com/company/about/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9
-
Jet Aviation, "Jet Aviation Acquires ASTONSKY FBO Operations at Paris-Le Bourget," company perspectives. https://www.jetaviation.com/perspectives/jet-aviation-acquires-astonsky-fbo-operations-at-paris-le-bourget/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
-
Jet Aviation, "Jet Aviation Launches Initial Operations in Miami-Opa Locka, Florida," company perspectives, November 2025. https://www.jetaviation.com/perspectives/jet-aviation-launches-initial-operations-in-miami-opa-locka-florida/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
-
Corporate Jet Investor, "Jet Aviation launches operations at new Miami FBO." https://www.corporatejetinvestor.com/news/jet-aviation-launches-operations-at-new-miami-fbo/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3
-
Jet Aviation, "Twelve Jet Aviation locations recognized in AIN's 2025 FBO Survey," company perspectives. https://www.jetaviation.com/perspectives/twelve-jet-aviation-locations-recognized-in-ains-2025-fbo-survey/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12
-
Private Jet Card Comparisons, "Jet Aviation expands in-house MRO, CMS software installations," 13 April 2026. https://privatejetcardcomparisons.com/2026/04/13/jet-aviation-expands-in-house-mro-cms-software-installations/ ↩
-
Aviation Pros, "General Dynamics to Acquire Jet Aviation for $2.25 Billion." https://www.aviationpros.com/home/news/10383321/general-dynamics-to-acquire-jet-aviation-for-225-billion ↩ ↩2 ↩3
-
Aviation Pros, "General Dynamics Completes Acquisition of Jet Aviation." https://www.aviationpros.com/home/press-release/10402853/general-dynamics-completes-acquisition-of-jet-aviation ↩ ↩2